I know I’ve already waxed poetic about how much I loved Operanation, but I wanted to dedicate a second post to my outfit…this is a personal style blog after all. As mentioned in the previous post, I had a bit of anxiety while trying to figure out what to wear and still stay true to the theme of the night – Light Up the Night. With my newly grey hair, certain colours just don’t work for me anymore, and recently I have been sticking to a muted palette of black, grey, and white – none of which would be ideal for the night’s theme.

So in a bit of a panic, I stopped by H&M a couple of hours before the party and saw this sparkly maxi dress. It didn’t look like much on a hanger, but I could feel its potential, whispering to me…”puuutt meee onnnnnnn”, and so I did. And not to sound full of myself, but in a sea of very expensive gowns, I didn’t feel even a little out of place. It really isn’t about how expensive (or inexpensive) something is, but how that something makes you feel. And obviously, this dress made me feel like a bombshell. A definite keeper.

Also, in a bit of a gross disclosure, my hair in this photo has not been washed in 6 days. It looks nice and wavy, but only because I wore it in a looped ponytail all day, which gave my hair a lovely kink. To spruce up my do, I sprayed some glitter hair spray onto my silvery locks, and while you can’t really see the full effect, I really loved how sparkly my hair was. I think I’ll do it again. And yes, I am a 30-year old that loves to spray glitter in her hair…what’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing.

So tell me, have you ever worn something really fun but inexpensive to a major event? Share your stories in the comments!

WHAT: LIVE DVF Fall 2014 Fashion Show and Special Performance by St. VincentWHEN: February 9th, 2014 (live stream starts at 4:45PM EST)WHERE: AmexUnstaged.com and DVF.com

This time last year, I was bundled up in my most stylish winter clothes shooting street style outside New York’s Lincoln Center between fashion shows. Despite snowstorms and freezing temperatures, I was super excited to attend my very first MBFW in New York and to experience the craziness of a major fashion week in person. This season, as I planned my trip to New York, unexpected things came up, making it impossible for me to attend. But you know what? I’m ok with that, thanks to Amex UNSTAGED!

This year, American Express partnered up with fab designer Diane von Furstenberg for a very special UNSTAGED fashion show experience for those of us that can’t attend in person. This Sunday, February 9th (at 4:45PM EST), we all get a front row seat at the DVF fashion show at MBFW in New York by simply tuning into Amex UNSTAGED live stream of the show! How cool is that?!

As part of UNSTAGED, fans will get to access to several pre-show, in-show, and post-show digital features that will transport them to New York, without having to shell out for a plane ticket. The future is now, guys! But that’s not all. While watching, make sure to tweet with hashtag #AmexUNSTAGED to unlock an exclusive digital experience – a special performance by St. Vincent that will take place after the DVFFall 2014 show in the Cardmember Space at the American Express UNSTAGED FashionwithDVF event. The singer will debut songs from her highly-anticipated new self-titled album, due out on February 25th.

Excited yet? I know I am! Thanks to American ExpressCanada and their creative entertainment perks for their Cardmembers, even if I can’t be in New York this February, at least I can enjoy this rare glimpse into the crazy/exciting world of New York Fashion Week from the comfort of my couch! Here’s hoping for some backstage drama! I will be live-tweeting (@styleblogca) throughout the show with my blogger bestie @backseatstylers and @AmexCanada, so make sure to follow the hashtag #AmexUNSTAGED this Sunday! See you at the show?

This post was sponsored by Amex Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.

I am becoming OBSESSED with Ashley Madekwe. Girl’s got some serious style chops! I mean, who else could pull off this neon yellow DVF peplum jumpsuit with almost Hammer-like drop crotch? Well, now we know…Ashley can. By keeping her hair and makeup on the minimal side, and belting her jumpsuit with a kick-ass Chanel chain belt, her look at the InStyle summer soiree is all style! I’ve mentioned my love for her blog before, but I’ll say it again…READ IT! You’re welcome.

I’ve had these boyfriend jeans for what seems like forever, and you know what? They are still in style! Le bf hates them with a passion…probably because they are so beaten up, and aren’t the most flattering jeans out there (in his opinion), but to me – they are perfect. I mean, what’s not to love? They are comfy, and go with pretty much anything and everything. This, my friends, is what I call a keeper.

What about you? Do you like boyfriend jeans? Would you ever wear them? Let me know in the comments.

Last weekend, my blogging bestie Sharon and I set off on a little roadtrip to Buffalo to do some Christmas shopping, and pick up some things that we both purchased months ago…like my new precious Chanel brooch. Having ordered it from Saks back in August, I was ecstatic to finally be able to get my hands on the tiny treasure. So ecstatic in fact, that I ended up wearing it to brunch the very next day…along with my new bejewelled DVF clutch that I picked up from Saks Off 5th during the same Buffalo trip (for a steal!!!). Score and score!

Along with my YSL arty oval ring, and Margiela with H&M booties, this outfit is pretty much a collection of my most prized (physical) possessions…ones that I will surely treasure for years to come.

Do you have special pieces that always make you happy and jazz up any outfit you wear? Tell me all about them in the comments!

WHAT I WORE

WHO IS NELIA?

Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion and lifestyle blogger by night and a financial analyst by day. She loves to travel, read gossip sites, eat sweets, and cuddle up to her husband and her cat on the couch. Read More…